PHOTOS!!--Leopard IIA6's at Wolfhagen, Germany, PART I

Modeling Subjects Armor
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Hi guys! Here is the first instalment of Leopard II’s taken on my my trip to Wolfhagen. I’ll spare the small talk and get straight to it. This first installment is of the Leopard IIA6 exterior details, and some other related items.

Wolfhagen–“Home of the Wolf”–photo from the van…

The Leopard 2A6

One happy doog…

Gettig the “tour”–“I’m goin’ in!” [:P]

“Y’all better just clear on out of there; I just might hit some buttons in here and I’ve got nooo idea what they do!!” LOL! (Do I look like a Panzer Commander?!)

Gunner’s hatch–look at the “chipping” around the AA ring! Proof of “weathering”!!!

The commander’s 360 targeting thingy…note the reddish hue to the glass

The gunner’s hatch…

Looking down the Commander’s hatch…

Gunner Doog and Commander Beam…anyone for a co-ed turret?! LOL! (Actually we’re both in the TC hatch)

The muzzle reference sensor…

Light detail–note the little chains on the tow hooks, and the method of securing the track cleats…

Mirrors…

I found this interesting–many of the hull/turret bolts are safety wired–just like my dirt bike grips…

Driver’s periscopes–note the greening tinge…

It was a tight fit going in this way! I’d hate to have to bail this way!

BRAAAAP!!! [:D]

Here’s one of the reasons I paint my tracks off-the-model; to get the proper weathering inside the tracks! Check out the color and wear of the tracks and teeth!!! There’s no reason you wouldn’t extrapolate this to just about any tank with similar wheels/tracks set-up! And remember–these are rubber-rimmed wheels, too!!!

They have some Leo 2A4’s out back too…

Here’s an interesting weathering shot of ust around the spare track on the front of one of the A4’s…note that there’s rust spots also in various places

and some rear details…

One of the A6 turrets removed, with some really neat shots of the attachment points for the add-on armor.

This really surprised me–check out the “woven” texture of the fume extractor here! To my knowledge, this has never been accurately represented in molding of these kits? Those “velcro” slabs there are attachment points for a unique Canadian camo covering which the Canadians use which I didn’t get to see but which apparently can be used in-situ while the tank is moving as well as stationary? Cool!

Last shot for now–the gas filler cap…

I’ll have another one up sooon of the interior shots I took. And then another of some of the Leopards “in the sheds” with some interesting mods and details. ENJOY, Guys! [:D]

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Nice pics! Thanks for posting them.

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Wow, you sure got a ton of fantastic pics!!! [;)]Can’t wait for part II!

Achtung! Hope you noticed the sign in the tank before hitting some buttons in the Leopard 2A6, doog.[:D]

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Fantastic pics doog! Lots of nice weathered shots. Thanks.

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very cool pics! I do love some of the nomenclature too! Especially the “commander’s 360* targeting thingy”. [swg] A great motorpool walkaround!

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I’m jealous…

Super cool pics, doog. Thanks!

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How convenient! I just got this kit last week. !http://www.pretticons.com/s/d/62a82059.gifGee...rock star goes to germany to get me some pictures too… what a friend, Wow, thanks!

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Outstanding pic’s Doog!

I have an idea how to simulate that texture one the fume extractor.

I bet you could use the same method that the aircraft guy’s use to “skin stress” their kits?

As for the safty wire on the bolts, well ther’s something else I am going to have to detail now darn it [|(].

Looking forward to the next series.

P.S. glad you made it back in one piece.

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WOW! Excellent luck, Steve!! Hey, PM me your address and I’ll shoot ya a disc of photos!

Glad you guys are enjoying them–here’s a few more:

Moving out of the shed

The smoke/HE dischargers–can you see the little tiny numbers on them?

Turret castig numbers, just aft of the TC’s hatch, at about 10:00 o’clock; partially occluded by the anti-slip stuff. This is actually synthetic diamond carbide suspended in resin–it is nasty stuff!

I’ll try to get the next installment up by Friday evening! [:D]

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Great pics Doog.

You must be really happy finally can touch and even go inside a living tank.

Ben

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“A living tank”–LOL! Actualy, I guess that’s pretty accurate–I’ve been in some “dead” museum pieces, but nover a real, operational one. It was quite the thrill!

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Hey, do you guys know if our M1’s main armament is still interchangeable with the Leopards?

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Fantastic pics and great to see you home safe.

It looks like you got a lot of really cool pics (you can always tell when a modeller takes pictures…lol…the average person stands back and takes a shot or two of the whole unit…the modeller’s in tight shooting wear patterns and bolt heads…lol)

Outstanding stuff…and glad to see my countrymen were proper hosts. Anxious to see the next installment.

Cheers

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-----…Oh lord…—awesomeness… OVERLOAD!!!

Doog, you have to be one of the luckiest people I know… I’ve long dreamt of seeing real “live” Leopards ever since I first saw a picture of one…and not only that, there CANADIAN too!!! I’ve never even seen a “real life” tank before and heck, I’d sell every kit I’ve ever owned just to get to do that!

and also:

Not anymore, the current Leopard 2A6’s main armament has been upgunned to L55 calibre, however the main gun of the Leopard 2, 2A1, 2A2, 2A3, 2A4, 2A5 are still interchangeable with the M1’s M256/L44 cannon.

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Townsy, those Leopards look German. Unless the Canadians train on tanks with German markings in Germany…[D)]

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lol well I meant that they’re being crewed by Canucks.

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Doog! Great photos. Although I don’t have a real interest in AFVs that are not modern American (sorry guys! [:D]) you’re pics have given me some ideas. I can’t wait to see more!

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Actually, the Canadians were indeed training on German tanks–they were basically taking them apart and putting them back together again, like one would do their rifle, so that they could repair and service them properly.

Some of the German guys were telling me that some of the hi-tech stuff would fool foreign crews; like, they’d not be able to get something working, and they’d start to tear apart something, when all they had to do was to hit a switch or a “reset” button. So the Canadians were there to learn all that stuff.

I think they also had some of the modifications to the tanks being performed there, and I believe that these tanks were going to be shipped to Afghanistan as well, because they had the additional add-on armor on the front lower hull on on the tanks in the shed–I’ll be showing that in the next installment.

Bottom line though, most of these WERE German marked Leopards!

CaSSIus, your fellow countrymen were consumate hosts, great conversationalists, and man, could they drink! WOW! LOL!

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Nice, the only thing missing would have been a smell of muzzle blast! It was really nice of them to give you the tour that they did.

I’m glad you enjoyed it. Can you imagine tooling around the woods of upstate NY in that as opposed to your bike???

Now, the Leopard is German…You have plenty of reference photos…sooo you should buy and build it ASAP…And as far as figures…well you should replace Hanze and Franze with Doog and Jenn. She can be in the TC hatch and you standing out front. You have no excuse, you have everything you need.

Thanks for thinking of the forum and sharing you photos with us.

Rounds Complete!!

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Wow. That must have been some day! How’d you arrange to get into the base motor pool?

This is the only one of the “modern” MBT’s I’m missing - guess I better look a bit harder and secure one now…[(-D]

So Doog, when should we expect a full build (interior and exterior) from you? [:-,]